Improvement in convertible grain and merchandise cars



2 Sheets-Sheet I.

B. P. POWER.

v Convertible Grain and Merchandise Cars. N0.l57,48], PatentedDec.8,1874.

THE GRAPHIC CQPHDTO'LITHJBS i-I PARK PlACEM- 2 Sheets--Sheet 2. B. P. oWEB.

fiunve rtible Grain and Merchandise CarsQ I N0.157,48], PatentedDec.8,1874.

THE GRAPHIC CO PHOTO-LITH.39&4J PARK PLACE,N.Y.

U ITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN P. POWER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF HISRIGHT TO JOHN OOYNE, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT lN CONVERTIBLE GRAIN AND MERCHANDISE CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 157,481, dated December8, 1874 application filed September 18, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN P. POWER, of Baltimore, in the State ofMaryland, have invented certain Improvements in Convertible Grain andMerchandise Cars, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to so construct a car that it may bereadily converted from an ordinary merchandise or box car to oneespecially adapted for carrying and rapidly discharging grain, and viceversa.

The invention consists in providing an ordinary car-body with a centralhopper at the bottom, with boards or wings hinged in the top of thebody, so that they may be turned down to form continuations of thebottom hopper and convert the car into one large hopper, and with doorsto.c0ver the bottom hopper when the car is used for merchandise. Figure1 represents a longitudinal vertical section through the center of mycar as used for carrying grain. Fig. 2 represents a vertical centralcross-section of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectionthrough the center of the car as used for merchandise. Fig. 4 is avertical central cross-section of the same; and Figs. 5 and 6 are,respectively, a side and a bottom view of the devices for looking thehopper-doors.

In building my improved car I construct its body A in the same generalmanner as the common freight, box, or merchandise cars now in generaluse, with doors a at the middle on opposite sides. In the floor of thebody, at its middle, I make a large opening, below which, to the body, Isecure a hopper, B, having its lower side or mouth closed by two hingeddoors, 0, which are held up by chains 1; windmg on a transverse shaft,0, mounted in the upper part of the hopper, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3,and 4. To the inner sides of the body I hinge two longitudinal doors, D,which may be turned down, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, to close the top ofthe hopper B and leave a smooth solid floor in the car for merchandise,or turned up against the sides of the car, as in Figs. 1 and 2, so as toclose the lower part of the doorways a and leave the hopper open forgrain. In the top of the body I arrange two boards or wings, E, hingedone to each end of the body, and each extending nearly to the middle ofthe same, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. On the inside of the body I placespringcatches H to support the inner free ends of the hinged wings orboards E, as shown.

When the car is to be employed for carrying grain the bottom of thehopper is closed, the door I) turned up against the side of the car, inorder to leave the top of the hopper open and prevent the escape of thegrain through the doorways in the side of the body, and the inner endsof the wings or boards E turned down upon the floor, as shown in Fig. 1,so that they form continuations of the sides of the hopper B, andconvert the car, as shown,

.into one large hopper. As the grain is supported above the floor of thecar on the inclined wings or boards which lead downward to the hopper B,it will be seen that, upon opening the doors 0 in the bottom of thehopper, the grain will flow down by reason of its gravity. and bedischarged very rapidly through the hopper, the car being thus emptiedwithout the employment of the customary manual 1abor, and in far lesstime. In this way the expense of the labor is avoided and the graindelivered with such rapidity as to keep a large elevator running at fullspeeda result which is not and cannot be attained when the grain isunloaded by hand.

When the car is to be used for freight and merchandise other than grainthe hinged wings or boards E are turned up against the roof and thedoors 0 shut down to form a (0.1- tinuous unbroken floor in the car, asshown in Figs. 3 and 4. When the parts are thus adjusted the carpresents the same appearance and answers the same purposes as thecommonbox-car.

By my method of construction I produce a car which may be adapted fortransporting grain in bulk to the markets, and discharging it rapidlyand without labor or expense, and then readily converted into a commonbox car for transporting the merchandise, such as is returned from thegrain-buyin g to the grainproducing sections. My car is thus adapted foruse while passing in both directions, while, at the same time, itpossesses all the advantages of the different cars now employed.

The shaft 0, on which the door-chains wind, is provided on one end witha ratchet-wheel, which is held by a pawl to keep the chains fromunwinding and hold the doors shut. In

order to prevent the car from being emptied,

by improper parties, I make the end of the shaft 0 square, and applythereto a closely-fitting plate, m, one end of which is bent at rightangles and passed through a staple, 0, on the body, and secured by apadlock, s, in its end. Before turning the sh aft to release thehopperdoors it is necessary to remove the lock and take off the plate m.

It is obvious that, in place of the two hinged doors at the bottom ormouth of the hopper, a single hinged door, or one or more sliding doors,may be used, or that the hopper may be closed in any other suitablemanner.

I am aware that cars having hopper-bottoms are old; that it is old touse hinged doors to cover the hoppers and form a flat floor; and that itis old to use short inclines in the corners of a car-body; and Itherefore lay no claim to these features singly.

What I do claim is 1. In combinationwith the box-car having the usualside doors, the large central hopper B, the two hinged doors D, and thetwo hinged wings E, extending inward to the sides of-the hopper, so thatthe entire load may be discharged through the central hopper, all as setforth.

2. In combination with the doors 0, chains 1), and shaft 0, the plate m,staple 0, and look 3, arranged as shown.

BENJAMIN P. POWER.

' Witnesses:

P. T. DODGE, JNo. D. PATTEN.

